Art By The Glazz

I was sad because I did go to an event with them a few years back that was great. This time however… the experience was TERRIBLE. I bought my sister the groupon for her and I for Christmas (notice it is now almost June). After cancelling on us and being completely unresponsive to calls and emails about new sessions, we finally got a slot. After months of waiting it is now 48 hours before and they cancelled AGAIN. I would like to note they have a 72 hour cancellation policy that requires you to pay if you cancel under that time… Of course because they kept cancelling on us the groupon expired and now I have to jump through hoops to get a refund.
DO NOT BUY THIS GROUPON, what a nightmare!

I’m sorry to see all the negative reviews on here so figured I would have to be the voice of dissent. I have now been to 3 sessions (all in DC) with Art By The Glazz over the course of around 3 years. I will admit that it can be difficult to register for a class on their website, but I have never had an issue in terms of them responding/​confirming/​getting back to me in a timely manner.
The classes are relatively small (maybe around 20 or less?) and the instructors go around helping anyone that has any questions. They play good music and wine is available. I, and it seems like most everyone in the classes I’ve attended, have/​had no art experience, but somehow all the paintings seem to come out really well! The few times I went, I have seen group of friends, couples, and singles show up and it always seems like everyone is having a great time (which is why I was surprised at all the bad reviews).
I have had Lisa as an instructor every time, so maybe she makes a huge difference — I would definitely recommend taking one of her classes!

If I could give this company no stars I would. I purchased a groupon in August and 4 months later I still haven’t been able to use my voucher. They have cancelled 3 times due to low attendance. I don’t know how they have not been shut down. Worst customer service!!! I wish I read the Unilocal reviews before purchasing the groupon.

DON’T BOTHER WITH THESE IDIOTS.
I bought a Groupon for a 2-​for-​1 painting session which was originally scheduled for mid-​July. Then 2 days before it was scheduled, they emailed me to say it was being canceled and extended the deadline to September.
The last weekend in September, on the scheduled day, I emailed to confirm our attendance but there was no response. My boyfriend and I showed up at their new «permanent» location anyway. The doors were locked, there was no phone number listed on the website. The lights were off and nobody was inside. We had scheduled our entire weekend around it, and they never even had the courtesy to let us know that the class had been canceled!
I asked Groupon for a refund the next day. What a waste of time and energy!

Went there yesterday for a painting class at 7pm. The door was locked :(and I have no way to contact them!
I signed up for the class a month ago and received no email confirmation. I went to their website and there were no contact phone number, email whatsoever. It was very difficult!

ATLANTA — I had such an amazing time. It was very interactive, fun and exciting. It was an experience of a lifetime. The activities and prizes kept me engaged and the Art By The Glazz Staff were awesome. very nice friendly and made me feel very comfortable. My cousin and I went and it gave us an opportunity to do something affordable and fun. We really enjoyed ourselves and told all of our friends and family about how much fun we had. We actually hung up our paintings in our apartments. Very fun and exciting activity cant wait to go again.
The only recommendation I would recommend is that there a contact number for the day of the event and the option to post this on the Art By The Glazz — Atlanta Unilocal comments because it haven’t been able to post this on the Atlanta Unilocal site.

As many other reviewers have noted, this place is terribly run and has extremely poor customer service.
Some friends and I bought Groupons, and over the course of several months, we were unable to schedule a class. After trying to navigate their non-​working website, dealing with lag time in responding to our email inquiries, and a generally bad attitude from the staff, I was frustrated. When we finally managed to get our class scheduled, we were told the location had moved from Dupont to H Street. Despite the inconvenient location change, we still planned to go. Two days before the class, we received an email saying that their new space wasn’t ready and the class was canceled.
At that point, I contacted Groupon for a refund (which they quickly provided, along with an apology, in a demonstration of proper customer service!). I’ve done these painting/​wine classes before and had a great time. I would just recommend steering clear of this particularly miserable organization.

I have had the worst experience with these guys. I saw a Groupon and thought of a friend who likes to paint, convincing her to buy one too. Well, first of all, there is no location in DuPont. And even the one near Potomac Ave metro is closed — at least that’s my assumption after showing up today for a 1pm session and finding nothing.
So first we were frustrated that the location was not what the deal promised. Fine, we’ll drive out to SE. Second, booking the session was very challenging with many full weeks out. Third, the confirmation email had little details about our session and no phone number. That should have been the tip off (though they did reply to emails). Finally, the last straw, we showed up today and the address was no painting shop. We poked around, tried the directory of the apartment building and finally movers who had been there all day tipped us off that we weren’t the first Groupon users to be duped.
Maybe they have a shop in Chantilly, but as far as I’m concerned, they don’t know how to run their business well. Find another place if you want to paint with a glass of wine. I want my money back.

I have spent some time reading the other reviews posted here and am now wondering if I have even been attending the same classes! I have been going to the Alexandria location and have nothing but fabulous things to say about my classes!
I too originally bought a Groupon for myself and a friend. Originally we had scheduling problems matching our schedules with available classes. Close to the expiration date, we still didn’t have a class and I called and spoke with Hanna, who very graciously extended the date on our Groupons and registered us for a class right then! Hanna provided the best customer service I have received in a long time! The class was phenomenal and our instructors Crystal and Tara were amazingly helpful. I haven’t painted since I was 5 and using finger paints and I had doubts I could do it, but my painting turned out amazingly as did others in the class.
I have since attended two other classes with this company and have nothing but accolades for them. I also have planned my birthday party with them and they have been extremely helpful in the party planning arena!
I would highly recommend the Alexandria location especially if Crystal and Tara are teaching! ;-)

If I were only reviewing my first experience with Art By The Glass, I would’ve given it four stars. Despite the paltry wine pours, my friends and I had a great time and each came away with surprisingly beautiful paintings. However, I made the poor choice to purchase a second session. I had bought a living social deal for the first session.
I attended with two friends and we had a blast at the Cameron Station location. As other users have noted, the free glass of wine though, was only a bit more than a tasting. If I remember correctly, my friends and I each chose to order a second glass off of the restaurant menu. PIzzaolo has a decent selection and it’s not priced all that badly. However, it wasn’t communicated that we had to pay for the wine at the end of the session immediately at the hostess stand. My friends and I had chosen to stay after and have dinner and more wine and we were accosted by the staff for not paying. Since it wasn’t communicated, we had just assumed that we could add it to our dinner tab. It was a bit annoying.
Overall, the first experience was fun. Enjoyable enough that I bought another groupon deal later to attend with another friend. This is where things went way BAD!!!
After purchasing and booking sessions with a friend, we were notified via email that the session that we chose was canceled «due to unforeseen circumstances.» Details of a rescheduling would be sent soon. Several days later, the rescheduled date was emailed. My friend and I confirmed that we could attend. Apparently, we were the only attendees of the original session that could make the new date. That date was also canceled. So we had two dates that we could both attend and two dates that were canceled at this point. A third proposed date was also canceled.
At this point, my friend was deployed overseas via her job. She was not to return until after the expiration date of the groupon. I emailed asking if there was any flexibility in the expiration date due to the combination of her deployment and ABTG’s cancellations making rescheduling difficult and received a terse voicemail asking that I call Art By The Glazz. When I returned the call, a very rude customer service representative basically said that they could extend my friend’s voucher (b/​c of her deployment), but not mine, and that when such a situation happens, people usually «suck it up and go on their own and make new friends.» Taken aback by the representative’s attitude, I explained that we had purchased the groupon as a sort of «girls night out for two old friends who don’t see each other very often» and that this option was not desirable.
I also explained that we had been able to attend each of the earlier rescheduled sessions and that we disappointed lt that Art By The Glazz had canceled THREE times! The representative sarcastically asked, «Well, it was just the two of you registered for all the earlier sessions, so that wouldn’t have been very much fun.» So now, on top of being rude, the woman had lied. I was originally told that the first session was canceled b/​c of an «unforeseen circumstance» and that the makeup sessions were canceled b/​c the other attendees wanted a Saturday session as it had originally been scheduled. The makeup sessions were all scheduled for Sundays. So which was it, was it an unforeseen circumstance on the part of the instructor or was it that no one else had signed up? She then made a big deal about how, she was going out of her way to extend our groupon until Mid-​June b/​c of the extenuating circumstances of my friend’s employment. Well, if they hadn’t canceled THREE times, there wouldn’t have been any reason to ask for an extension. ABTG confirmed the extension via an email that assured me that this was a «One time only extension.»
It is now almost May. We were supposed to attend our session in February and now there are no sessions even scheduled at the Cameron Station location for the foreseeable future (if you go by ABTG’s posted schedule online). We’re hoping to rebook and that they don’t say that our groupon is invalid since because we bought it for a «Cameron Station Location Experience» and there aren’t anymore available.
It’s a shame that the administration of this business is so unprofessional. The actual painting experience was fun, but I won’t be patronizing Art By The Glazz ever again.

I took this class with a friend last night, it was a bit disappointing for two reasons…
First, the wine was mediocre and came in a 3.5 oz plastic champagne cup. On top of that they charge $ 3 per additional glass for this cheap wine, I’m sure they make 2 or 3 times as much on selling glasses at that price.
Second, there was no real instruction… I’ve had experience painting, but my friend did not, it was hard for her to get started with no instruction other than «do your own thing».
The «attendant» was nice, she played Bob Marley from her HTC EVO, LOL.
We had a much better experience at Merlot’s Masterpiece on U st. They give step by step instructions and the paintings were very nice. They also have UNLIMITED helpings of all types of wine.

I planned a private class for 10 which was held at Café Pizzaiolo in Cameron Station. Art by the Glazz has a small administrative staff, so having patience with all of the formal confirmations/​responses during the planning stages is a little key when you otherwise work in a traditional office environment.
They reconfirmed the details for our Bachelorette Art Class two nights before and sent us a reminder to order food from the restaurant if we wanted.
From the get-​go, the energy of our instructors was so much fun. They had our blank canvases set up and had already worked with the restaurant staff to have our food ready. They also asked specific details about our bachelorette so that they could tailor some fun into our evening. They kept things really lively!
Even though some of our paintings turned out better than expected and some of the paintings were works of frustration, we all had a really good time and appreciated the service of the staff as they provided us with tips on different painting techniques. It was fun seeing how different versions of the same painting had all turned out.
It was really convenient to order food from Café Pizzaiolo — which has an amazing Pesto Pizza in particular.

Paid for two art classes, showed up and was told that the artist cancelled the class! Without informing us– no email, no phone call. Not the way to run a business. The person who told us it was cancelled didn’t seem to know much else and said the instructor cancelled 10 min before class was about to start. Not professional at all. Go elsewhere. Will be asking for a full refund.

After reading the reviews I am not sure I trust this company… It says on Groupon a Dupont Circle location so I almost signed up for it. Then I noticed it said SE Washington DC. I may be new to the area but that is not anywhere near by. I think this company should someone honest on their groupon since people often pick based on location.

This review is not based on a class, and that’s because I can’t get into one. Here is my experience so far:
My friend and I bought the Groupon back in July and promptly scheduled a class for the end of August (this was their first one available). After not receiving a confirmation email we emailed to ask if we were confirmed for the class. A few days went by and we never heard back so we contacted them again. This time they did get back to us, however she said that we were not reserved and that the class was full. She said she would try and fit us in, and to email her back in the morning to see if she was able to. You read that right — We need to email her back! She’s practically calling herself incompetent to respond to customer requests.
As prompted we email back in the morning and two days go by with no response. Do you see a trend here? After emailing several times up until the date of our class, we never heard back so we decided to try signing up for another class in October — again the first date that was available. Our date for October came around and Hurricane Sandy was in full effect. We received an email saying our class was cancelled due to the storm and that a reschedule date would be sent to us no later than 5 days from then. Can you guess what happened? 5 days came and went and to this day we still have not heard from anyone.
Our Groupon expires at the end of the year and it’s anyone’s guess as to if they will still honor it after then. Another Unilocal below said it perfectly — Art by the Glazz is not equipped to deal with the volume of business they’ve generated from Groupon and as a result the customers suffer.
I’m sure the class is a lot of fun, but I can’t seem to get into one.

I am reviewing the children’s Little Picasso Milk and Cookies program by Art By The Glazz.
I purchased 2 Groupon vouchers for $ 12/​each for this and my 6-​year-​old and I used them that same weekend (a few weeks ago). I have read that this company had management issues, but I did not experience that so maybe they’ve fixed their issues! After buying the Groupon, I immediately registered and received confirmation the next morning.
The class was held in a conference room at a Courtyard Marriott hotel in Silver Spring.
My 6-​year-​old (and I) really ‘got into’ this 2-​hour class! We were given a canvas, several brushes, a cup full of water and a palette and allowed to choose a few paint colors. There was the option to replicate a fairly easy art piece or for folks to just paint whatever they wanted.
My daughter and I both chose to freestyle.
The instructor provided helpful tips, was enthusiastic, and patient and snacks were served toward the end of the session.
For $ 12 per person I think this is a great creative activity and deviation from the status quo and we took home canvas art pieces so cute they are now hanging in my daughter’s room!
Would consider doing this again, and maybe even paying full price! Good deal.

This was fun! I bought a Groupon for myself and figured I would spare my boyfriend from having to join me. The picture they listed as our inspiration for the night somehow got mixed up with another one, so most of the class painted the new picture, but I still wanted to paint the old one. The staff was helpful and made sure I had the right colors and brushes so I could paint the picture I wanted to paint, and they complimented my final product! The staff is lively and friendly, and the evening was fun. I chatted with people around me and genuinely enjoyed myself, even though I didn’t bring any friends.
If you go, I’d suggest bringing a few of your own (inexpensive) brushes if you’re picky, because their brushes were well-​used and not in great supply. Be careful not to drink your brush-​cleaning water AND don’t clean your brush in your free wine! I wish I were allowed to bring food, because this was during dinner time, and I’m always hungry — especially after a long day of work! I also wish classes were posted and offered more frequently, because the idea of painting on Sunday afternoons appeals to me, but classes aren’t offered often enough on Sundays.
But really, truly, this was a FUN evening, and I will definitely be back. I’ve already scheduled my second class!

I found out about Art by the Glazz through a groupon deal and had an ok time. As others have pointed out, they do not have a permanent location but rent out space in hotels. I went to the location near Dupont Circle and the room was set up with the canvases on small easels on tables in a U shape. They had 4 people on staff there to welcome you, including the founder. Everyone was very cheerful and nice.
They give you a squirt of pant on a sheet of paper and a few paint brushes to you, a glass of water, and a paper towel. You also get a plastic apron to wear as acrylic pants do not wash out if you get any on your clothes.
You get a small (3−4oz) wine glass or a beer included and they charge $ 5 for more. The desert was small and looked pretty unappetizing so I can’t comment on that. Frankly a nice cookie would have been way better and easier to eat.
We all had a picture of the painting we were going to do but were told we didn’t have to copy it exactly. and then we were told to have at it. Some ladies in my row totally ignored the theme and seemed to have fun since they all came together. I did the best I could but with no direction, no step by step instructions, it was a bit frustrating. The staff was available, walking around the room, but since I wasn’t sure what to do I didn’t really know what questions to ask.
I way preferred the Brush N Blush evening I did in Georgetown!

Went here (the Dupont location) with a Groupon deal and dragged my gay guy friend (even though he was hesitant that he would enjoy painting). Definitely dominated by women, but by the end of the night, my guy friend said he (surprisingly) had a great time. I’ve been to a similar establishment that pairs wine with a painting class in Nashville before, so i already had an expectation of what it would be like.
Your ticket gets you one small complimentary drink. Anything after that requires a cash bar. They also heavily encourage drinking as there is a toast every half an hour – I was actually pretty impressed by some of the speeches of our fellow aspiring artists. The culture and atmosphere of the group was fun and relaxing!
What I liked: the humor and constant encouragement of the staff to not be afraid and just go for it. and the freedom to do whatever you want – NO ONE’s paintings came out looking the same… or even close to the one they gave us. the other painting session I’ve been to offered you only certain colors – here they offered any color that you wanted AND a secret weapon: GLITTER. Also, they have a variety of tools – BUT you have to ask for them! When I asked for help on making some tiny strokes and trying to find which brush to use, she told me that I had the wrong brushes. So, the three they gave me were insufficient. She immediately brought out a bag with tons of choices – I wish that I had known about this earlier though.
What I was expecting more of: INSTRUCTION. We got a mini picture of the painting/​inspiration and then 2 – 3 short 2-​minute lessons on «techniques» or «tips» and then we could raise our hand and get technique suggestions from 1 of 2 of the instructors (for 50 people!). The other wine/​painting experience I’ve had there was an actual artist in the front of the room with her own easel on display and she walked through every section of the painting step by step from start to finish so you had something to model off of. Although Art By The Glazz’s philosophy allows for more freedom and individual creativity – for those of us that are artistically challenged, I wanted more direction to make more of a replica of the picture given. As a perfectionist, three hours was not enough time to get it the way I wanted and I think if I had more of a step-​by-​step model I would have paced myself better.
What I was shocked by: «the dessert». So, in the description it says that you get a complimentary glass and dessert. I was really looking forward to dessert. I got a single tiny lonely cream puff atop a sea of chocolate sauce drizzle. That is hardly what I call a dessert. Also, how exactly do you expect us to eat the dessert with our hands if we have acrylic paint all over them?
Overall, I had a good time… it’s just that when I compare it to the other wine & painting lessons I’ve had, I personally would have liked a bit more structure/​instruction.

I purchased a Groupon deal for the Silver Spring location of Art by the Glazz over the summer and used it with three of my cousins in mid-​November, about 6 weeks before the Groupon expired. The short version of my experience with Art by the Glazz is that they simply aren’t equipped to manage the volume of business they’ve generated as a result of their Groupon sales, and the participant experience suffers hugely as a result.
For starters, they don’t have the office staff to manage the necessary customer service it takes to run a business. My cousins and I signed up for our preferred date online and the confirmation on their website said to expect to receive a confirmation email within 24 hours. That confirmation email never came. I emailed separately asking for confirmation of our registration, and several days later finally got a reply.
About a week before our scheduled class, we received an email from Art by the Glazz thanking us for being a part of their growth and announcing a new partnership with the Courtyard Marriott in North Silver Spring. It wasn’t explicitly stated that the class was moving to the hotel (implied but open to interpretation) so I emailed again asking for clarification that our class had changed location. Again, there was no email went without a response for several days and it took a second email from me to get the confirmation I needed. (This location change, by the way, moved the location 20 minutes complete out of the way from what we originally signed up for and moved an alcohol-​based event out of Metro range.)
The night of the class, which was scheduled from 6pm-​9pm, we arrived at the hotel at 5:55 to find a lobbyful of people millling around. There was no signage to direct us anywhere, so we asked the front desk staff and they said that all of these people were also here for the Art by the Glazz class. At about 6:10, someone came out to apologize and say that they got a late start setting up because of traffic and should be ready to begin in about 10 minutes.
20 minutes later, we were invited back to a small meeting room with a stated capacity of 40 people posted on the wall (there were 46 of us in the room). Tables were set up on top of a giant tarp on the floor, and each place setting had a canvas and paint brushes. But that’s where the preparation stopped. Not everyone had paint pallettes. Not everyone had an apron. It took nearly 30 minutes to pass paint around and water. We didn’t begin painting until almost 7:15. To top it off, the painting we were given to replicate wasn’t the same painting we had signed up for.
The biggest disappointment was that there was almost zero painting instruction given. We were shown how to cover our canvas to start and one 30-​second lesson on how to try to paint leaves and that was it.
In short, this isn’t an art class but a disorganized provision of art supplies and a free-​for-​all in terms of figuring it out yourself. This business would run well for very small groups, but they don’t have the capacity to manage the volume they’ve generated from Groupon sales and they aren’t naturally organized enough to develop solutions that work for managing a big crowd.